CA1209196A - Ignition source for internal combustion engine - Google Patents
Ignition source for internal combustion engineInfo
- Publication number
- CA1209196A CA1209196A CA000425623A CA425623A CA1209196A CA 1209196 A CA1209196 A CA 1209196A CA 000425623 A CA000425623 A CA 000425623A CA 425623 A CA425623 A CA 425623A CA 1209196 A CA1209196 A CA 1209196A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- fuel
- spark
- fast
- acting valve
- combustion chamber
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
- F02P13/00—Sparking plugs structurally combined with other parts of internal-combustion engines
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02M57/00—Fuel-injectors combined or associated with other devices
- F02M57/06—Fuel-injectors combined or associated with other devices the devices being sparking plugs
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
- Combustion Methods Of Internal-Combustion Engines (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An improved ignition system is provided for an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and means for feeding an ambient fuel-air combustion mixture to the combustion chamber, e.g. by a carburetor or by a fuel injection system. This system, comprises an injection electrode assembly consisting essentially of: an injector nozzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds; a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room temperature and at five to six times normal atmospheric pressure; means for feeding the gaseous fuel from the source to the injector nozzle; means for actuating said fast-acting valve; a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, the spark electrode projecting a predetermined distance into the combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector nozzle passes through, the spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of the gaseous fuel is expelled across the spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber; means for supplying electrical energy to the spark electrode; and means for controlling the time and duration of the electric spark and the actuating means for the fast acting valve. This control is such that the length of time it takes to open the fast-acting valve and the length of time the electric spark occurs after an appropriate predetermined time after the opening of the fast-acting valve, when the turbulent plume passes in the vicinity of the spark electrode, so that the ambient fuel-air mixture and the injected gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.
An improved ignition system is provided for an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and means for feeding an ambient fuel-air combustion mixture to the combustion chamber, e.g. by a carburetor or by a fuel injection system. This system, comprises an injection electrode assembly consisting essentially of: an injector nozzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds; a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room temperature and at five to six times normal atmospheric pressure; means for feeding the gaseous fuel from the source to the injector nozzle; means for actuating said fast-acting valve; a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, the spark electrode projecting a predetermined distance into the combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector nozzle passes through, the spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of the gaseous fuel is expelled across the spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber; means for supplying electrical energy to the spark electrode; and means for controlling the time and duration of the electric spark and the actuating means for the fast acting valve. This control is such that the length of time it takes to open the fast-acting valve and the length of time the electric spark occurs after an appropriate predetermined time after the opening of the fast-acting valve, when the turbulent plume passes in the vicinity of the spark electrode, so that the ambient fuel-air mixture and the injected gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.
Description
lZO91~
This invention relates to an ignition source for intèrnal combustion engines.
The internal combustion engine is required to operate and to burn fuel efficiently over a wide range of speed and load requirements.
This is normally achieved by using a rich mixture which burns evenly during the power cycle. Although a rich mixture gives the engine good performance characteristics it is wasteful of fuel and produces a high level of pollutants. A mixture which provides sufficient air to consume all of the fuel charge is too lean for optimum performance and this is particularly true of slow burning fuels, e.g., methane (natural gas).
Research has been progressing to find a means of igniting lean mixtures in such a way that the burn can be completed evenly and quickly.
One method which has been proposed is typified in Canadian Patent No. 429,758 which involved swirling air around the interior of the engine combustion chamber during the piston compression stroke at a con-trolled rate with respect to the engine speed. Fuel is then injected under pressure into the air charge during each cycle of operation of the engine. During each cycle of engine operation, a patch of combustible mixture is progressively formed and consumed in a localized area in the combustion chamber. As a result, it was alleged that little or no com-bustible "end" gases were permitted to exist, and that "ping" or "knock"
was inhibited even with fuels with low anti-knock value at high compres sion rates.
Barber, Canadian Patent No. 565,196 issued October 28, 1958, provided an improvement by injecting fuel in the form of a spray into the combustion chamber from a particular point and aimed at a particular direction. This was alleged to provide an improved combustion - 1 - `~
Oil I r()nmC'rlt .
I].S. Patcnt No. 2,184,009 issued 0ctobcr ll, 19~l9, providcd another improvement by thc positioning of the ignitiOn means very much closer to the fuel injection means than had been done previously, allegedly resulting in the ignition of fuel--air mixture sooner, and in the use of a widcr range of spray shapes to produce knock-free operation rcgular]y.
Barber, Canadian Patent No. 588,]90 issued Decembcr 1, 1959, provided still another improvement by the use of a particularly definccl lo fuel injection means including a nozzle body, an orifice plate with valve scat and a slidable valve for cooperating with the orifice plate to con-trol the fuel flow through the orifice.
Barber et al, Canadian Patent No. 981,998 issued January 20, 1976, provided an improvement by using a fuel-air charge, which had been premixed in proportions to provide a mixture capab]e of flame ignition, but incapable of spark ignition. The premixed fue]-air charge was caused to flow rapidly about the combustion chamber in a swirling pattern, and a pilot charge of fuel was injected into the swirling premixed charge, thereby to form a spark-ignitable fuel-air mixture surrounding the spark plug. Ignition of the spark-ignitable mixture by the spark plug estab-lishes a flame further to ignite the fuel-air mixture swirling within the combustion chamber.
Thus, these Barber patents embody the single concept of non-turbulent liquid pilot injection directly into the combustion chamber in the vicinity of the spark. Turbulence is generated separately by the intake stroke. The Barber patents require extensive combustion chamber modifications and are intended for liquid fuels.
" 1209~96 Other proposals have been made to improve the combustion efficiency through the generation of turbulent conditions within the engine cylinder In Canadian Patent No. 848,750 issued August 11, 1970 to Daimler-Benz, an eddying or whirling mOVement is imparted to the inflowing fuel-air mixture which is displaced in the compression top dead-centre position.
This alleged to provide a higher compression ratio.
Canadian Patent No. 869,305 issued April 27, 1971 to American Gas Association, the turbulent conditions are embodied in a scavenging air flow coupled with a predetermined position of the glow plug in the combustion chamber.
Canadian Patent No. 887,977 issued December 14, 1971 to Dynatech Corporation, involves the jetting of hot gas into the cylinder to penetrate and ignlte the fuel-air mixture.
U.S. Patent No. 3,107,658 issued October 22, 1963 to S. Meurer provides for injecting fuel onto the wall of the cylinder, and then forming a unidirectional air swirl therein to mix air with the fuel and means to inject particles of fuel towards the igniting device.
U.S. Patent No. 3,534,714 issued October 20, 1970 to A. Urlaub provldes a fuel injection nozzle means, an intensive air swlrl generating means and an anode electrode, with the wall of the cylinder ::
forming the cathode.
U.S. Patent No. 4,133,322 Issued January 9, 1979 to Mitsubishi provldes for the injection of air towards the spark gap to create a swirl or turbulence to increase combustibility.
U.S. Patent No. 4,176,649 issued December 4, 1979 to Toyota provides for compressing the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder to cause turbulence and swirling in the auxiliary section of the combustion chamber ~209~96 to control the }ate of combustion.
Thus, in these prior patents as well, extensive combustion chamber modifications are necessary.
Other proposals which have been made are those which involve a stratified fuel charge or a pilot flame.
Thus, Canadian Patent No. 537,727 issued March 5, 1957 to Daimler-Benz provides fuel injection system which injects a compact jet of fuel into the pre-combustion chamber.
Canadian Patent No. 994,627 issued August 10, 1976 to Honda provides a main combustion chamber and an auxiliary chamber. The rich mixture fed to the auxiliary chamber is ignited by a spark plug and this causes the lean mixture in the main combustion chamber to be ignited.
Canadian Patent No. 1,020,423 issued November 8, 1977 to Honda provides an improvement on Canadian Patent No. 994,627 by recycling exhaust gases through the auxiliary combustion chamber to reduce NO
fumes.
Canadian Patent No. 1,092,458 Issued December 30, 1980 to Fial provides an insert in the cylinder providing an ignition pre-chamber to ignite fuel injected into the cylinder which has been finely atomized by impingement on an impingement surface.
Kamiya, U.S. Patent No. 4,091,774 patented May 30, 1978, pro-vides a stratiEied combustion-type engine in which an injection nozzle injects auxiliary fuel towards the combustion chamber. An open pre-combustion chamber equipped with a spark plug locally holds and vaporizes the auxiliary fuel to increase its burning rate while a lean mixture also admitted to the combustion chamber is ignited by the flame of the rich mixture.
.
-"` 1209~96 Thus, these proposals provide a liquid fuel pilot injection system which relies on combustion to generate turbulence and flame for further combustion. While most proposals are "add on" devices, they do require additional pre-combustion chambers and are designed for use with liquid fuels.
Other patents purported to provide improved combustion by pro-viding spark plugs having corona discharge or high energy spark charac-teristics. Among them are Canadian Patent No. 1,044,973 issued December 12, 1978-to Tokai TRW & Co. Ltd.; US. Patent No. 4,041,922 issued ;August 16, 1977 to Tokai TRW & Co. Ltd.; ~.S. Patent No. 4,124,003 issued November 7, 1978 to Tokai TRW & Co. Ltd.; U.S. Patent No.
::
4,219,001 issued August 26, 1980 to Tokai TRW & Co. Lid.; and U.S.
Patent No. 4,317,068 issued February 23, 1982 to Combustion Electromag-, netics Inc.
Plasma ]et ignition is one method which has been developed in sn attempt to achieve this goal One example of such proposal is in U.S.
I; Patent No. 4,164,912 issued August 21, 1979 to R.R.C. Baylor. A com-~paratively large amount of electrlcal energy is released into a cavitycauslng a jet of highly excited gas to be shot ioto the cylindsr. This ` 20 plasma plume causes ignition of a lean mixture at many sites and gives a satisfactory power burn. Unfortunately the energy consumption and elec-trode wear of this system is prohibitive and until now these drawbacks had not been resolved.
Objects Oe aspects of thls inveDtion include the~provision of : ,; : .
an ignition source in which 1. the ignition is distributed throughout a large volume of the~combustion chamber, and hence the ignition delay and burn time are : : : ` : :
:
:
:
'' , , -` 1209~L96 shortening for lean mixtures;
This invention relates to an ignition source for intèrnal combustion engines.
The internal combustion engine is required to operate and to burn fuel efficiently over a wide range of speed and load requirements.
This is normally achieved by using a rich mixture which burns evenly during the power cycle. Although a rich mixture gives the engine good performance characteristics it is wasteful of fuel and produces a high level of pollutants. A mixture which provides sufficient air to consume all of the fuel charge is too lean for optimum performance and this is particularly true of slow burning fuels, e.g., methane (natural gas).
Research has been progressing to find a means of igniting lean mixtures in such a way that the burn can be completed evenly and quickly.
One method which has been proposed is typified in Canadian Patent No. 429,758 which involved swirling air around the interior of the engine combustion chamber during the piston compression stroke at a con-trolled rate with respect to the engine speed. Fuel is then injected under pressure into the air charge during each cycle of operation of the engine. During each cycle of engine operation, a patch of combustible mixture is progressively formed and consumed in a localized area in the combustion chamber. As a result, it was alleged that little or no com-bustible "end" gases were permitted to exist, and that "ping" or "knock"
was inhibited even with fuels with low anti-knock value at high compres sion rates.
Barber, Canadian Patent No. 565,196 issued October 28, 1958, provided an improvement by injecting fuel in the form of a spray into the combustion chamber from a particular point and aimed at a particular direction. This was alleged to provide an improved combustion - 1 - `~
Oil I r()nmC'rlt .
I].S. Patcnt No. 2,184,009 issued 0ctobcr ll, 19~l9, providcd another improvement by thc positioning of the ignitiOn means very much closer to the fuel injection means than had been done previously, allegedly resulting in the ignition of fuel--air mixture sooner, and in the use of a widcr range of spray shapes to produce knock-free operation rcgular]y.
Barber, Canadian Patent No. 588,]90 issued Decembcr 1, 1959, provided still another improvement by the use of a particularly definccl lo fuel injection means including a nozzle body, an orifice plate with valve scat and a slidable valve for cooperating with the orifice plate to con-trol the fuel flow through the orifice.
Barber et al, Canadian Patent No. 981,998 issued January 20, 1976, provided an improvement by using a fuel-air charge, which had been premixed in proportions to provide a mixture capab]e of flame ignition, but incapable of spark ignition. The premixed fue]-air charge was caused to flow rapidly about the combustion chamber in a swirling pattern, and a pilot charge of fuel was injected into the swirling premixed charge, thereby to form a spark-ignitable fuel-air mixture surrounding the spark plug. Ignition of the spark-ignitable mixture by the spark plug estab-lishes a flame further to ignite the fuel-air mixture swirling within the combustion chamber.
Thus, these Barber patents embody the single concept of non-turbulent liquid pilot injection directly into the combustion chamber in the vicinity of the spark. Turbulence is generated separately by the intake stroke. The Barber patents require extensive combustion chamber modifications and are intended for liquid fuels.
" 1209~96 Other proposals have been made to improve the combustion efficiency through the generation of turbulent conditions within the engine cylinder In Canadian Patent No. 848,750 issued August 11, 1970 to Daimler-Benz, an eddying or whirling mOVement is imparted to the inflowing fuel-air mixture which is displaced in the compression top dead-centre position.
This alleged to provide a higher compression ratio.
Canadian Patent No. 869,305 issued April 27, 1971 to American Gas Association, the turbulent conditions are embodied in a scavenging air flow coupled with a predetermined position of the glow plug in the combustion chamber.
Canadian Patent No. 887,977 issued December 14, 1971 to Dynatech Corporation, involves the jetting of hot gas into the cylinder to penetrate and ignlte the fuel-air mixture.
U.S. Patent No. 3,107,658 issued October 22, 1963 to S. Meurer provides for injecting fuel onto the wall of the cylinder, and then forming a unidirectional air swirl therein to mix air with the fuel and means to inject particles of fuel towards the igniting device.
U.S. Patent No. 3,534,714 issued October 20, 1970 to A. Urlaub provldes a fuel injection nozzle means, an intensive air swlrl generating means and an anode electrode, with the wall of the cylinder ::
forming the cathode.
U.S. Patent No. 4,133,322 Issued January 9, 1979 to Mitsubishi provldes for the injection of air towards the spark gap to create a swirl or turbulence to increase combustibility.
U.S. Patent No. 4,176,649 issued December 4, 1979 to Toyota provides for compressing the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder to cause turbulence and swirling in the auxiliary section of the combustion chamber ~209~96 to control the }ate of combustion.
Thus, in these prior patents as well, extensive combustion chamber modifications are necessary.
Other proposals which have been made are those which involve a stratified fuel charge or a pilot flame.
Thus, Canadian Patent No. 537,727 issued March 5, 1957 to Daimler-Benz provides fuel injection system which injects a compact jet of fuel into the pre-combustion chamber.
Canadian Patent No. 994,627 issued August 10, 1976 to Honda provides a main combustion chamber and an auxiliary chamber. The rich mixture fed to the auxiliary chamber is ignited by a spark plug and this causes the lean mixture in the main combustion chamber to be ignited.
Canadian Patent No. 1,020,423 issued November 8, 1977 to Honda provides an improvement on Canadian Patent No. 994,627 by recycling exhaust gases through the auxiliary combustion chamber to reduce NO
fumes.
Canadian Patent No. 1,092,458 Issued December 30, 1980 to Fial provides an insert in the cylinder providing an ignition pre-chamber to ignite fuel injected into the cylinder which has been finely atomized by impingement on an impingement surface.
Kamiya, U.S. Patent No. 4,091,774 patented May 30, 1978, pro-vides a stratiEied combustion-type engine in which an injection nozzle injects auxiliary fuel towards the combustion chamber. An open pre-combustion chamber equipped with a spark plug locally holds and vaporizes the auxiliary fuel to increase its burning rate while a lean mixture also admitted to the combustion chamber is ignited by the flame of the rich mixture.
.
-"` 1209~96 Thus, these proposals provide a liquid fuel pilot injection system which relies on combustion to generate turbulence and flame for further combustion. While most proposals are "add on" devices, they do require additional pre-combustion chambers and are designed for use with liquid fuels.
Other patents purported to provide improved combustion by pro-viding spark plugs having corona discharge or high energy spark charac-teristics. Among them are Canadian Patent No. 1,044,973 issued December 12, 1978-to Tokai TRW & Co. Ltd.; US. Patent No. 4,041,922 issued ;August 16, 1977 to Tokai TRW & Co. Ltd.; ~.S. Patent No. 4,124,003 issued November 7, 1978 to Tokai TRW & Co. Ltd.; U.S. Patent No.
::
4,219,001 issued August 26, 1980 to Tokai TRW & Co. Lid.; and U.S.
Patent No. 4,317,068 issued February 23, 1982 to Combustion Electromag-, netics Inc.
Plasma ]et ignition is one method which has been developed in sn attempt to achieve this goal One example of such proposal is in U.S.
I; Patent No. 4,164,912 issued August 21, 1979 to R.R.C. Baylor. A com-~paratively large amount of electrlcal energy is released into a cavitycauslng a jet of highly excited gas to be shot ioto the cylindsr. This ` 20 plasma plume causes ignition of a lean mixture at many sites and gives a satisfactory power burn. Unfortunately the energy consumption and elec-trode wear of this system is prohibitive and until now these drawbacks had not been resolved.
Objects Oe aspects of thls inveDtion include the~provision of : ,; : .
an ignition source in which 1. the ignition is distributed throughout a large volume of the~combustion chamber, and hence the ignition delay and burn time are : : : ` : :
:
:
:
'' , , -` 1209~L96 shortening for lean mixtures;
2 ignition is attained independent of how little fuel there is in the combustion chamber;
3. high level, small scale turbulence are produced which predominate over turbulence present in the main chamber;
4. the fuel in the combustion chamber need not be the same as the injected pilot fuel; and
5. the pilot fuel is in the order of 1% of the main fuel charge.
An object of yet another aspect of this invention i5 to provide such a system which is basically an "add on" feature requiring, in principal, no modification to the combustion chamber (i.e., no prechamber is required).
An object of a further aspect of this invention is the provision of a mechanical jet ignition which exhibits the advantages of plasma jet ignition without the excessive energy ~nsumptionand associated electrode wear, along with the advantages of a stratified charge engine without extensive modifications to the cylinder head and intake systems.
By a broad aspect of this invention, an improved ignition system is provided for an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and means for feeding an ambient fuel-air combustible mixture to the combustion chamber, e.g. by a carburetor or by a fuel injection system, the ignition system comprising an injection electrode assembly consisting essentially of: an injector noæzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds; a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room temperature and at five to six normal atmospheric pressure; means for feeding the gaseous fuel from the source to the injector nozzle; means for actuating the fast-acting valve; a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, the spark electrode projecting a pre-determined distance into the combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector I, .
I- ~zo9~
nozzle passes through the spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of the gaseous fuel is expelled across the spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber; means for supplying electrode; and means for controlling the time and duration of the electric spark and the fast-acting valve actuating means to control the length o time it takes to open the fast-acting valve and the length of time the fast-acting valve remains open so that the electric spark occurs after an appropriate pre-determined time after the opening of the fast-acting valve, when the turbulent plume passes in the vicinity of the spark electrode, so that the ambient fuel-air mixture and the injected gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.
By one variant thereof, the gaseous fuel supply constitutes a minor proportion, preferably l of the fuel to the internal combustion engine.
The gaseous fuel may be a gaseous hydrocarbon at 5-6 atmospheres pressure, or it may be hydrogen at 5-6 atmospheres presure.
The fast-acting valve preferably is an electrically-controlled fuel injection valve, and the actuation means for such valve is controlled to maintain the length of time the fast acting valve remains open to be of the order of one hundred microseconds, preferably during a period of 10-20 micro-seconds.
The spark electrode preferably projects from the nozzle by a distance of the order of 1 cm.
In other words, by a broad aspect of this invention, a high speed in-jector is used electromechanically to create a turbulant gaseous fuel "puff"
which is directed through a pair of electrodes. The electrodes may be con-structed integrally within the injector or mounted externally to it. As the rich fuel puff expands, comb ming with the leaner ambient ~1209~
mixture, it reaches an optimum composition for rapid combustion. A low energy spark across the electrodes causes ignition at that time to pro-vide a pilot flame.
A fast-acting gas valve produces a well-defined turbulent jet of gaseous fuel which entrains the ambient fuel-air mixture. This mixing produces a highly turbulent stratified charge in the vicinity of a con-ventional low energy electrical discharge. The mixture strength of this charge can be optimized by varying the time between the gas valve opening and the spark.
It will be seen that the present invention differs over the teachings of some of the prior art patents, e.g., the Barber patents, in embodying gaseous injection of a turbulent pilot jet. Engine generated large scale turbulence is not required. It is believed that the small scale, high intensity turbulence produced by the jet is more favourable for efficient combustion.
; The present invention i5 also different from other of the prior art patents, e.g~, the Kamiya patent, in that the turbulence level and scale are considerably difEerent.
In the accompanying drawing, the single Eigure is a schematic drawlng of the ignition system of broad aspects of this inventlon.
As seen in the drawing, the cylinder 11 is provided with a conventional piston 12 and an inlet valve 13 and outlet valve (not shown).
, Fuel-air combustible mixtures are fed through valve 13 either by a con-ventlonal carburetor system or by a conventional fuel Injection system.
An upper combusti`on chamber 14 is provided between the top 15 of the piston 12 at its upper stroke and the roof 16 of the cylinder 11.
An internally tapped entry 17 is provided for the injector electrode ; - 8 -..
1~0~
assembly 19. Conventionally this would take the form of a spark plug, but the ignition system of the present invention is substituted therefor.
In the present invention, the improved ignition system takes the form of an injector/electrode assembly 19, including: a main chamber 20; a line 21 for a source of gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel supply 22 to an injection nozzle by injector actuation supply 28. A timing con-trol 29 controls the ignition system While the structure of the injector nozzle 23 and the circuitry of the ignition supply 25; the injection activation supply 28 and timing control 29 have not been described, it is well known in the art of elec-tronic fuel control systems that computing means may control an injector valve means, as described in U.S. Patent No. 3,967,598 issued July 6, 1976 to The Bendix Corporation. A type of fuel injector valve is dis-closed in Canadian Patent No. 489,330 issued January 6, 1953 to P.J.
Kaniut. Control of fuel injection systems is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,142,683 issued March 6, 1979 to The Bendix Corporation. The struc-ture and operation of the injector nozzle, injector nozzle valves and the ignition supply, injector activation supply and timing control are des-cribed in the following Bosch GmbH Canadian patents:
956,192 dated October 15, 1974 961,719 dated January 28, 1975 997,234 dated September 21, 1976 997,235 dated September 21, 1976 891,730 dated January 25, 1972 893,343 dated February 15, 1972 and 930,848 dated July 24, 1973.
As the gaseous fuel is injected through the injector nozzle l~OC~
which is controlled to open during a period of time of the order of microseconds, e.g.. ]0 - 20 for a time of the order of a hundred microseconds, a high turbulent "puff" is created which can easily be ignited by the electrodes which are timed to spark at the precise time.
Measurements comparing the dynamics of the mechanically created puff with those of the plasma jet show a good correlation. The p]ots taken of pressure versus time for ignition caused by either system are also essentially the same.
Combustion bomb tests have shown that the new igniter will fire extremely lean mixtures which cannot be ignited by conventional means and will cause all mixtures to burn more rapidly than with a regular ignition system. The former of these characteristics is exhibited by the stratified charge engine and both characteristics by plasma jet ignition systems.
The injection ignition device of one embodiment of this invention has been tested on a single cylinder test engine and has successfully ignited very lean methane/air mixtures. Initial resu]ts show a clear improvement of both ignition and combustion of these lean mixtures by comparison with a conventional spark ignition system.
An object of yet another aspect of this invention i5 to provide such a system which is basically an "add on" feature requiring, in principal, no modification to the combustion chamber (i.e., no prechamber is required).
An object of a further aspect of this invention is the provision of a mechanical jet ignition which exhibits the advantages of plasma jet ignition without the excessive energy ~nsumptionand associated electrode wear, along with the advantages of a stratified charge engine without extensive modifications to the cylinder head and intake systems.
By a broad aspect of this invention, an improved ignition system is provided for an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and means for feeding an ambient fuel-air combustible mixture to the combustion chamber, e.g. by a carburetor or by a fuel injection system, the ignition system comprising an injection electrode assembly consisting essentially of: an injector noæzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds; a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room temperature and at five to six normal atmospheric pressure; means for feeding the gaseous fuel from the source to the injector nozzle; means for actuating the fast-acting valve; a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, the spark electrode projecting a pre-determined distance into the combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector I, .
I- ~zo9~
nozzle passes through the spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of the gaseous fuel is expelled across the spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber; means for supplying electrode; and means for controlling the time and duration of the electric spark and the fast-acting valve actuating means to control the length o time it takes to open the fast-acting valve and the length of time the fast-acting valve remains open so that the electric spark occurs after an appropriate pre-determined time after the opening of the fast-acting valve, when the turbulent plume passes in the vicinity of the spark electrode, so that the ambient fuel-air mixture and the injected gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.
By one variant thereof, the gaseous fuel supply constitutes a minor proportion, preferably l of the fuel to the internal combustion engine.
The gaseous fuel may be a gaseous hydrocarbon at 5-6 atmospheres pressure, or it may be hydrogen at 5-6 atmospheres presure.
The fast-acting valve preferably is an electrically-controlled fuel injection valve, and the actuation means for such valve is controlled to maintain the length of time the fast acting valve remains open to be of the order of one hundred microseconds, preferably during a period of 10-20 micro-seconds.
The spark electrode preferably projects from the nozzle by a distance of the order of 1 cm.
In other words, by a broad aspect of this invention, a high speed in-jector is used electromechanically to create a turbulant gaseous fuel "puff"
which is directed through a pair of electrodes. The electrodes may be con-structed integrally within the injector or mounted externally to it. As the rich fuel puff expands, comb ming with the leaner ambient ~1209~
mixture, it reaches an optimum composition for rapid combustion. A low energy spark across the electrodes causes ignition at that time to pro-vide a pilot flame.
A fast-acting gas valve produces a well-defined turbulent jet of gaseous fuel which entrains the ambient fuel-air mixture. This mixing produces a highly turbulent stratified charge in the vicinity of a con-ventional low energy electrical discharge. The mixture strength of this charge can be optimized by varying the time between the gas valve opening and the spark.
It will be seen that the present invention differs over the teachings of some of the prior art patents, e.g., the Barber patents, in embodying gaseous injection of a turbulent pilot jet. Engine generated large scale turbulence is not required. It is believed that the small scale, high intensity turbulence produced by the jet is more favourable for efficient combustion.
; The present invention i5 also different from other of the prior art patents, e.g~, the Kamiya patent, in that the turbulence level and scale are considerably difEerent.
In the accompanying drawing, the single Eigure is a schematic drawlng of the ignition system of broad aspects of this inventlon.
As seen in the drawing, the cylinder 11 is provided with a conventional piston 12 and an inlet valve 13 and outlet valve (not shown).
, Fuel-air combustible mixtures are fed through valve 13 either by a con-ventlonal carburetor system or by a conventional fuel Injection system.
An upper combusti`on chamber 14 is provided between the top 15 of the piston 12 at its upper stroke and the roof 16 of the cylinder 11.
An internally tapped entry 17 is provided for the injector electrode ; - 8 -..
1~0~
assembly 19. Conventionally this would take the form of a spark plug, but the ignition system of the present invention is substituted therefor.
In the present invention, the improved ignition system takes the form of an injector/electrode assembly 19, including: a main chamber 20; a line 21 for a source of gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel supply 22 to an injection nozzle by injector actuation supply 28. A timing con-trol 29 controls the ignition system While the structure of the injector nozzle 23 and the circuitry of the ignition supply 25; the injection activation supply 28 and timing control 29 have not been described, it is well known in the art of elec-tronic fuel control systems that computing means may control an injector valve means, as described in U.S. Patent No. 3,967,598 issued July 6, 1976 to The Bendix Corporation. A type of fuel injector valve is dis-closed in Canadian Patent No. 489,330 issued January 6, 1953 to P.J.
Kaniut. Control of fuel injection systems is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,142,683 issued March 6, 1979 to The Bendix Corporation. The struc-ture and operation of the injector nozzle, injector nozzle valves and the ignition supply, injector activation supply and timing control are des-cribed in the following Bosch GmbH Canadian patents:
956,192 dated October 15, 1974 961,719 dated January 28, 1975 997,234 dated September 21, 1976 997,235 dated September 21, 1976 891,730 dated January 25, 1972 893,343 dated February 15, 1972 and 930,848 dated July 24, 1973.
As the gaseous fuel is injected through the injector nozzle l~OC~
which is controlled to open during a period of time of the order of microseconds, e.g.. ]0 - 20 for a time of the order of a hundred microseconds, a high turbulent "puff" is created which can easily be ignited by the electrodes which are timed to spark at the precise time.
Measurements comparing the dynamics of the mechanically created puff with those of the plasma jet show a good correlation. The p]ots taken of pressure versus time for ignition caused by either system are also essentially the same.
Combustion bomb tests have shown that the new igniter will fire extremely lean mixtures which cannot be ignited by conventional means and will cause all mixtures to burn more rapidly than with a regular ignition system. The former of these characteristics is exhibited by the stratified charge engine and both characteristics by plasma jet ignition systems.
The injection ignition device of one embodiment of this invention has been tested on a single cylinder test engine and has successfully ignited very lean methane/air mixtures. Initial resu]ts show a clear improvement of both ignition and combustion of these lean mixtures by comparison with a conventional spark ignition system.
Claims (11)
1. An improved ignition system for an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and means for feeding an ambient fuel-air combustible mixture to said combustion chamber by a conventional fuel injection system or by a conventional gas mixing system, the ignition system comprising an injection electrode assembly consisting essentially of:
(i) an injector nozzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds;
(ii) a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room temperature and at five to six times normal atmospheric pressure;
(iii) means for feeding said gaseous fuel from said source to said injector nozzle;
(iv) means for actuating said fast-acting valve;
(v) a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, said spark electrode projecting a predetermined distance into said combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector nozzle passes through said spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of said gaseous fuel is expelled across said spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber;
(vi) means for supplying electrical energy to said spark electrode;
and (vii) means for controlling the time and duration of said electric spark and said fast-acting valve actuating means to control the length of time it takes to open said fast-acting valve and the length of time said fast-acting valve remains open so that said electric spark occurs after an appropriate predetermined time after the opening of said fast-acting valve, when said turbulant plume passes in the vicinity of said spark electrode, so that slid ambient fuel-air mixture and said injected gaseous fuel in said combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.
(i) an injector nozzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds;
(ii) a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room temperature and at five to six times normal atmospheric pressure;
(iii) means for feeding said gaseous fuel from said source to said injector nozzle;
(iv) means for actuating said fast-acting valve;
(v) a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, said spark electrode projecting a predetermined distance into said combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector nozzle passes through said spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of said gaseous fuel is expelled across said spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber;
(vi) means for supplying electrical energy to said spark electrode;
and (vii) means for controlling the time and duration of said electric spark and said fast-acting valve actuating means to control the length of time it takes to open said fast-acting valve and the length of time said fast-acting valve remains open so that said electric spark occurs after an appropriate predetermined time after the opening of said fast-acting valve, when said turbulant plume passes in the vicinity of said spark electrode, so that slid ambient fuel-air mixture and said injected gaseous fuel in said combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.
2. The injection system of claim 1 wherein said gaseous fuel supply constitutes a minor proportion of said fuel fed to said internal combustion engine.
3. The ignition system of claim 1 wherein said gaseous fuel constitutes 1% of said fuel fed to said internal combustion engine.
4. The ignition system of claim 1 wherein said gaseous fuel is a gaseous hydrocarbon fed to said internal combustion engine at 5-6 atmospheres pressure.
5. The ignition system of claim 1 wherein said gaseous fuel is hydrogen fed to said internal combustion engine at 5-6 atmospheres pressure.
6. The ignition system of claim 1 wherein said fast-acting valve is an electrically-controlled fuel injection valve.
7. The ignition system of claim 6 wherein said actuation means for said fast-acting valve is controlled to maintain the length of time said fast-acting valve remains open to be of the order of one hundred microseconds.
8. The ignition system of claim 7 wherein said fast-acting valve remains open during a period of 10-20 microseconds.
9. The ignition system of claim 1 wherein said spark electrode projects from said nozzle by a distance of 1 cm.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein said main fuel-air mixture is fed to said internal combustion engine by a carburetor.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein said main fuel-air mixture is fed to said internal combustion engine by a fuel injection system.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000425623A CA1209196A (en) | 1983-04-11 | 1983-04-11 | Ignition source for internal combustion engine |
| US06/508,512 US4546740A (en) | 1983-04-11 | 1983-06-28 | Ignition source for internal combustion engine |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000425623A CA1209196A (en) | 1983-04-11 | 1983-04-11 | Ignition source for internal combustion engine |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1209196A true CA1209196A (en) | 1986-08-05 |
Family
ID=4124986
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000425623A Expired CA1209196A (en) | 1983-04-11 | 1983-04-11 | Ignition source for internal combustion engine |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4546740A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1209196A (en) |
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| WO1989012738A1 (en) * | 1988-06-13 | 1989-12-28 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Injection and ignition in fuel injected spark ignition engines |
| US4864989A (en) * | 1988-06-30 | 1989-09-12 | Tice Technologies Corp. | Pre-combustion chamber spark plug and method of igniting lean fuel |
| EP0371759A3 (en) * | 1988-11-29 | 1990-08-22 | The University Of British Columbia | Intensifier-injector for gaseous fuel for positive displacement engines |
| US5076223A (en) * | 1990-03-30 | 1991-12-31 | Board Of Regents, The University Of Texas System | Miniature railgun engine ignitor |
| US5211142A (en) * | 1990-03-30 | 1993-05-18 | Board Of Regents, The University Of Texas System | Miniature railgun engine ignitor |
| WO1993008385A1 (en) * | 1991-10-14 | 1993-04-29 | The University Of Melbourne | Internal combustion engine ignition device |
| GB9210115D0 (en) * | 1992-05-11 | 1992-06-24 | United Fuels Ltd | Improvements in or relating to internal combustion engines |
| EP0640178B1 (en) * | 1992-05-15 | 1999-09-08 | Orbital Engine Company (Australia) Pty. Ltd. | Fuel/gas delivery system for internal combustion engines |
| US5377633A (en) * | 1993-07-12 | 1995-01-03 | Siemens Automotive L.P. | Railplug direct injector/ignitor assembly |
| US5852993A (en) * | 1997-08-04 | 1998-12-29 | Herman P. Anderson Technologies, Llc | Fuel system for internal combustion system and adapter for use in same |
| US6298825B1 (en) * | 1998-11-27 | 2001-10-09 | Fev Motorentechnik Gmbh | Method for igniting a multi-cylinder reciprocating gas engine by injecting an ignition gas |
| US6289868B1 (en) * | 2000-02-11 | 2001-09-18 | Michael E. Jayne | Plasma ignition for direct injected internal combustion engines |
| US6374799B1 (en) * | 2001-01-11 | 2002-04-23 | Joseph Carl Firey | Engine bubble jet igniter |
| US20030175584A1 (en) * | 2002-03-14 | 2003-09-18 | Electric Fuel Ltd. | Battery pack holder for metal-air battery cells |
| US7169489B2 (en) | 2002-03-15 | 2007-01-30 | Fuelsell Technologies, Inc. | Hydrogen storage, distribution, and recovery system |
| US20030234010A1 (en) * | 2002-06-25 | 2003-12-25 | Redmond Scott D. | Methods and apparatus for converting internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to hydrogen fuel |
| US7399325B1 (en) | 2002-03-15 | 2008-07-15 | Fuelsell Technologies, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a hydrogen fuel cassette distribution and recovery system |
| US20040016769A1 (en) * | 2002-03-15 | 2004-01-29 | Redmond Scott D. | Hydrogen storage, distribution, and recovery system |
| US7011768B2 (en) * | 2002-07-10 | 2006-03-14 | Fuelsell Technologies, Inc. | Methods for hydrogen storage using doped alanate compositions |
| US20040065171A1 (en) * | 2002-10-02 | 2004-04-08 | Hearley Andrew K. | Soild-state hydrogen storage systems |
| WO2007090019A2 (en) * | 2006-01-27 | 2007-08-09 | Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a spark-ignited direct injection engine |
| JP2008267267A (en) * | 2007-04-20 | 2008-11-06 | Nissan Motor Co Ltd | Internal combustion engine |
| RU2449140C1 (en) * | 2010-11-01 | 2012-04-27 | Государственное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования Волгоградский государственный технический университет (ВолгГТУ) | Method of internal combustion engine operation |
| JP5562927B2 (en) * | 2011-11-30 | 2014-07-30 | 三菱重工業株式会社 | Gas engine subchamber gas supply device |
| WO2015186682A1 (en) * | 2014-06-02 | 2015-12-10 | イマジニアリング株式会社 | Injector unit |
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| CH478343A (en) * | 1967-09-22 | 1969-09-15 | Maschf Augsburg Nuernberg Ag | Spark ignition, air-compressing injection internal combustion engine |
| JPS5012532B2 (en) * | 1972-06-21 | 1975-05-13 | ||
| CA981998A (en) * | 1972-06-21 | 1976-01-20 | Everett M. Barber | Internal combustion engine |
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- 1983-04-11 CA CA000425623A patent/CA1209196A/en not_active Expired
- 1983-06-28 US US06/508,512 patent/US4546740A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US4546740A (en) | 1985-10-15 |
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